Market Research Frequently Asked Questions
Our industry builds its foundation on people who are willing to openly talk about their experiences, either as professionals or consumers. We make every effort to ensure our participants are as comfortable as possible when interacting in our research studies. Part of that process is openly interacting with respondents about the focus group process. As we enter the season of New Year’s resolutions, please help us learn how we can better inform you about our services.
We would like to take this time to address some past participants’ concerns as well as the most frequently asked questions, so we can continue to offer monumental service.
What is the pre-screening process and why can’t you tell me immediately if I have been placed in a study?
Since we cover a geographic area from Baltimore to Fredericksburg we want to ensure we can place respondents in our study, before any arrangements are made to travel to our facilities. To do this we ask a series of questions, usually ranging between 5-15 minutes, to determine if someone is an immediate fit for our study. If we have too many people who are too similar, thus unbalancing our study, or if we believe someone is very close to what we are looking for but may not be an exact fit, we will place them on what is called a HOLD. This simply means we are trying to communicate with the team running the study to ensure we can use that participant, prior to committing them to a group time. During this process at no time is any identifying or contact information released. That is only used by our reception staff to update participants as we find we can use them.
Will I be watched? Will I be informed of who is watching me?
Our focus groups, one on one interviews, usability studies and other research are frequently observed. Observers are often other members of the research team taking notes, so the facilitator can focus on engaging with meeting participants. All information released is kept with the strictest confidentiality. Unless expressly stated, only non-identifying information is used and it is only used for the research study in which participants are engaged.
Because we do our best to keep your information confidential, we also do our best to keep researcher's information confidential. This is why typically participants do not meet the full research team during the study. This is also another way we can ensure the team cannot continue to contact participants after the group.
When should I arrive for a study?
Participants should always arrive at our office at least fifteen minutes prior to their appointment time, as this provides enough time to fully fill out any paperwork a study might require. Moderators frequently have surveys or other brief activities to get participants warmed up before the group start. If participants arrive fifteen minutes prior, we can ensure all studies start on time so all participants can leave on time. Participants are also welcome to use that time to ask facility staff any questions they may have about their study before they enter.
One final note, traffic in both Alexandria and the City of Fairfax can be bad, especially around rush hour. We encourage all participants to plan to arrive as early as possible. Our reception areas have snacks and free Wi-Fi. So come grab some free food and get some work done while you wait for your study to start.
Will I ever be dismissed without pay?
To be paid for our study we only ask that you answer our pre-screening questions truthfully and that you arrive to our study on time. If participant’s answers differ during the focus group or interview from their pre-screening answers and we cannot use them, we will not be able to pay that participant. This is why we call all participants the day before their study to read their answers back to them. If any answer does not sound like it matches what a participants told the interviewer, we ask that you let us know. It is easier for us to confirm a day or two prior to a study, that we can still take a slightly altered profile, than it is to make an adjustment the day of the study.
For all studies we request you arrive at least 15 minutes early, sometimes earlier depending on the study. Although we do allow for bad traffic, there is a limit to how long we can wait to start our studies past the initial start time. Although we try to touch base with all respondents as the time approaches, it is best that should you find you are running late to give our facility a call. It is easier for us to accommodate a late participant if we know how far they are and approximately the length of time before they arrive. This way, we can also check with the moderator who might make a determination that they do not wish to wait for any late participants.
What if I am dismissed early?
We do occasionally dismiss participants from groups early, but in these cases compensation is almost always offered, unless it is determined that someone has truly been inconsistent or dishonest in the screening process.
Since we do operate much as the airlines do and over recruit, to account for those who do not show or cancel, there will be instances where all participants are not needed to participate. We do ask that those not included remain a full fifteen minutes after the start of their group. During this time respondents are simply asked to remain in our waiting area. This is not an opportunity to determine whether or not they will be paid, but more of an opportunity for the moderator to make certain the group is made up of the respondents needed.
Can I be forcibly removed? Do you hire security staff?
The answer to both of these questions is NO. We very rarely ask participants to leave a group once they have sat down and it is usually only in an instance where there was an unforeseen conflict of interest. In these cases, if it is not caused by a failure to report an association during our pre-screening process, participants will still be paid for their time. Given that most respondents enjoy participating in our focus groups and are eager to re-enter our panel pool, we never need to forcibly eject participants.
Both our Fairfax and Alexandria offices are safely located in executive office buildings, so we also have no need for security staff. Our Fairfax office does have a security buzzer at the back of the building and we ask respondents to use this to aid check-in speed. Our Alexandria office often has staff monitoring both parking areas and the entrance to the building. This is to assist participants in finding parking, a scarce commodity in Old Town, and finding their way to our suite.
On extremely rare occasions clients will hire security staff to ensure no recording devices are brought into focus group rooms. Similar to movie screenings, we ask participants either to turn phones and other devices into the front desk or leave secured devices at home or elsewhere. When we hold these studies we make every effort to notify participants of every requirement beforehand. Refusal to participate in such a focus group will simply release that participant back into our system for a future focus group requiring less strenuous security.
Those are some of the most recent questions posed by our research participants. We invite our participants to pose any further questions they may have. We look forward to seeing you in the New Year and offering new and exciting studies to participate in!